Surprise Package Revisited!?

Perhaps these airport security people have come up with a bold new plan to enhance airline security. They may reason that, since the chances of having a bomb on board a plane are, say, 1 in 10,000, while the chances of having TWO on board are 1 in 100,000, by placing its own bomb on a flight the government has made it 10 times more unlikely that a terrorist will also have put a bomb on board.

Police officials stated that the package of explosive put on this flight was “no more dangerous than a bar of chocolate.” I wonder if anyone caught trying to bring an equivalent amount of explosive onto a flight will be able to avoid criminal conviction with the same de minimis plea that his bomb was “no more dangerous than a bar of chocolate?”

On the other hand, knowing the reasoning of government officials, passengers may now find their chocolate bars being confiscated!

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3:06 am on December 6, 2004